"I know if I need them, that they will be at my side," says Domenico to Serana, "But perhaps best that they should join us to hear what is on your mind." He looks down to Serana's white-knuckled hands and adds, "As it seems to weigh on you heavily."
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Domenico nods to Serana and, while he plays a bit longer, this is to the goal of ending his play in a natural and satisfying way rather than to extend it as long as possible. The cavalier withdraws from the game, giving compliments to all who played well before doing so, and then says to Serana, "My attention is yours, we can speak without distraction."
Domenico happily plays dice with Godlas, even telling him tales of some of his adventures gambling or about his much more admirable sister (who he happens to admire very much, without a hint of jealousy). When Serana arrives, he gives her a little wave and invites her to watch.
After getting enough looks from her, the cavalier rubs the side of his head and speaks quietly to her, "Do you wish to discuss something?"
"I was going to play some dice tonight, and instead of that, we decided to give an etiquette lesson to a man who seemed to had too few of those in his life," says Domenico. "Well, we taught him and his friends until he could stand it no more. Until, I suppose, he could stand no more. But alas, I did not teach as well as I think I could have, so I had to sit down and watch as my friends did all of the instruction." He shakes his head, "Well, the coward cried loudly and it brought a bit more attention our way than we would have liked, so we fled with Cambino, who seemed to have thought ahead to find a suitable path for us."
Before the story begins, Domenico adds to Theo's comment on their not noticing his race: "I had always simply thought that you were just growing the most magnificent beard, my friend. I admit some jealousy for how even and thick it is." Upon the conclusion of the story and the follow up about weeds, Domenico rubs his chin in thought. "Again, I am no scholarly gentleman, but I assume that if, hypothetically of course, we could find copies of these proscribed books on gardening, well, it would be of great benefit to any gardeners out there."
Domenico tosses a coin from his belt up in the air and catches it in his open palm. It falls flat against his palm.
He regards the face of the coin for a couple of moments before glancing up towards Qareen. "We may be able to assist you if you are looking for aid, despite not being scholarly gentlemen. Though sometimes when you have information at hand, then it becomes a matter for men of bold action. I do not believe that chance is simply that, and so our meeting by chance may well be a meeting by fate." The corners of his lips turn upwards in a smile.
"Sometimes I spectate. Why, I spectated only minutes ago! It does not suit me," says Domenico with a smile that does not touch his eyes.
His eyes flick momentarily towards the shadows of the room, but the smile remains on his face. "I am Domenico. Domenico Acerbi."
Domenico is much too concerned making haste to pay attention to anything that is happening. The gambler keeps just behind Theo in his run.
"My thanks, but no, my friend!" replies Domenico to Theo, though he reaches to Emiliano's flask to take a drink. "A man must learn to grin through his wounds after all! On we go, then!" He follows after Theo.
"Thaddeus, you rube," admonishes Domenico, springing to his feet with an annoyed expression. "How you make a small part of me wish that my friends were in fact murderers." To his companions, he claps his hands together amicably, "You all did very well! Perhaps it is time to make a hasty return to somewhere that is not about to be overrun."
"Well, occasionally you must sit back and admire the fighting of your comrades," says Domenico to Theo, "Though it seems more like Diego and Teresina are flirting than fighting. Come on! A bit less dancing, a bit more blood!"
Domenico grins at what he is secretly whispered, "Indeed, tend to your wounded." He rubs at his own wound absently while he watches his comrades continue their matches.
Domenico steps back with a huff when his blood is drawn, and while he seems rather irate about being the first of his crew to have to concede, he says, "Yes. Yes, you've bested me, Liborio. To the blood, after all. Seems luck is not on my side today, I think I'd have had an easier time with Thaddeus!"
Domenico seems utterly perplexed when his blade is knocked from his hand. His eyes flick up towards his dance partner and he quickly reaches for his blade on the ground, and if he manages to sidestep his opponent's blade, he picks the weapon up as a part of a lunging motion at Liborio.
Unfortunately, his speed is hampered by having had to retrieve the blade.
"I am Domenico Acerbi," says the cavalier, a lazy smile still on his face. "I prefer to let chance decide my dance partners anyways, Vittorio. So," starts Domenico, flipping up one of his dice with his thumb, re-rolling it when the result is one that should be impossible.
Once the die roll is determined, he gestures to his opponent and says cheerily, "That makes us partners. To first blood." He draws his sword and issues a salute.
Domenico laughs heartily at Vittorio's taunts, coming up behind to join the rest of his friends, "Not to worry, Vittorio. I do not mind being outnumbered. I've always liked games with fair odds." He smiles easily and rests his hand on the hilt of his blade. "I am ready."
Domenico nods to Thaddeus and says, "We'll be right over." But when the Cardinal's Guard exits the establishment, Domenico says, "I've always said that etiquette and swordplay can be remarkably similar!" He's never said that. "Either way, these rubes need to be treated to a lesson in both." He picks up his things and starts out towards the night air.
Domenico smiles, though it does not touch his eyes, and says thoughtfully, "You said that it was a good thing that you're leaving, and I must give compliments to your wisdom on that assertion!" He rests a hand idly on his own hip near his blade and continues on, while the other hand plays with a coin, speaking now more to Thaddeus, though not speaking in his direction directly. "But a man with so much to say on the station of others tends to be, what do they say?" He flips his coin idly, only affording a quick glance to see the result.
"Insecure in his own." He slips his coin away and takes a drink, "I would advise the gentleman to be cautious when speaking ill of others, so that they do not get a wrong impression of him." He rises and adds so that his meaning could not be clearer, looking directly at Thaddeus now with a challenging expression, "And so that the gentleman does not find himself on the wrong end of a blade."
Domenico laughs at Theo's question. "You know well there is nobody more generous to his friends than I am, when the coin is flowing! But, well, you know that I've had a string of black luck, my friend. And I will not say much about black cats crossing my path," Domenico touches his own nose here, "but I'm afraid that if this keeps up, it will be some time before I can treat all my friends to the grand meal that they deserve." To Susanna, he says, "Nothing more for me. Though if you see anyone who is willing to lose a bet, let me know as soon as you can. Perhaps I will have found something worth wagering by then."
"Well, I would have bet," admits Domenico in response to the reactions of surprise to his earlier statements, "But I would not have set up the pool. Why, I didn't know the odds, and already the game would have been spoiled." He laughs to himself and says, "I suppose I prefer to bet on dice than on Asmodean clergy. Though..." He rubs his brow and sighs dramatically, "I was going to bet on clergy... well, there's a lesson to be had there, my friends. If you ever have a chance to bet, take it, because if you do not you will not win! Another drink. To drown my sorrow, of course!" He does not seem sorrowful, but he does seem thirsty. He nudges Theo and says, "I'll get you dinner tonight, to repay that coin you lent," And then to Emiliano in the same breath he adds, "I'll have to ask you to lend me some coin so that I can pay for my meal and drinks. You would not leave a friend with a dry throat! No, certainly not!"
Domenico sits down at the seat offered to him in a relaxed position and gives his dark hair a brush with his fingers to get it out of his eyes, "So long as the drink is good, the company is pleasant and the dice are fair, I have little concern about such things as public or private!"
He waits until Ippolito is out of earshot to lean in towards his companions at the table, a conspiratorial grin on his face, "I get the sense that something in those private rooms is causing a bit of a stir. A bit of anxiety! I'd be tempted to start a betting pool on who is in there, but I'm afraid that I'll overhear something and ruin it before my wager can be won! What do you fellows think?"
Of course, invite the lackeys! What if I need to carry something? Can you imagine?
My elves must have ears pointy at all times! Adept2!
Domenico iiiiiiiiiis
Da best. |